Organic conversion with a catalyst comprising a crystalline pillared oxide material

Abstract

There is provided a process for converting organic compounds using a catalyst comprising a pillared, layered crystalline oxide material. This material may be prepared by intercepting a swellable layered oxide before calcination. The intercepted material is swollen and pillared. If the material is not intercepted in this manner, it is transformed into a zeolite by calcination. The pillared material may have a large degree of catalytic activity, and it may have rather porous layers.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for converting an organic compound, said process comprising contacting an organic compound with a catalyst under sufficient conversion conditions, said catalyst comprising a pillared, layered crystalline oxide prepared according to a method whereby a layered crystalline oxide is prevented from being transformed by calcination into a non-swellable zeolite, said method comprising the steps of: (i) intercepting said layered crystalline oxide in an intermediate, swellable state;   (ii) swelling the swellable, layered crystalline oxide of step (i) with a swelling agent under conditions sufficient to, produce a swollen, layered crystalline oxide;   (iii) pillaring the swollen, layered crystalline oxide with a pillaring agent under conditions sufficient to insert interspathic oxide material in between the layers of the layered, crystalline oxide; and   (iv) calcining the pillared, layered crystalline oxide under conditions sufficient to transform the intercepted, layered crystalline oxide of step (i), in the absence of steps (ii) and (iii), into said non-swellable zeolite, whereby a pillared, layered crystalline oxide is formed and the transformation of a layered, crystalline oxide into a non-swellable zeolite is prevented.     
     
     
       2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said pillared, layered crystalline oxide has an Alpha Value of at least 10. 
     
     
       3. A process according to claim 1, wherein said pillared, layered crystalline oxide has an Alpha Value of at least 50. 
     
     
       4. A process according to claim 1, wherein said pillared, layered crystalline oxide has pores in the layers thereof, said pores having pore windows formed by rings of at least 8 oxygen atoms. 
     
     
       5. A process according to claim 3, wherein said pillared, layered crystalline oxide has pores in the layers thereof, said pores having pore windows formed by rings of at least 10 oxygen atoms. 
     
     
       6. A process according to claim 1, wherein said pillared, layered crystalline oxide has pores in the layers thereof with a pore diameter greater than about 5 Angstroms.